Iraqi army says Tikrit next target after Baiji

The Iraqi army’s next target is to isolate militants holding the city of Tikrit, after having broken the Islamic State group’s hold on Baiji and its refinery, a senior officer said Monday. “Over the next three days, we will work on reinforcing our capacity because we are planning to clear areas on three sides of Tikrit,” an army brigadier general said. Tikrit, the hometown of executed former president Saddam Hussein, is the second largest Iraqi city under IS control. The town of Baiji lies north of Tikrit along the Tigris River and the brigadier general said Iraqi forces would also close in on the key city from Samarra to the south and from eastern regions.